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WEEKEND EDITION: I am just updating the page, I had a soccer and field hockey game to watch plus I am participating in the special events station for 100th anniversary of WBZ in Boston using the call W1W. I luckily caught the hams who reside on 3928 afternoons and picked up 10 contacts...

Amateur Radio Newsline Report

COVID SPURS CANCELLATION OF TOKYO HAM FAIR

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our top story this week is the cancellation of Tokyo Ham Fair 2021, the world's largest ham radio event. Yoshinori Takao, JG1KTC, chairman of the Japan Amateur Radio League, announced that JARL had been committed to holding the ham fair as planned on October 2nd and 3rd using extreme preventative measures against COVID-19 but new waves of infection made it necessary to call everything off. He expressed hope for better chances in 2022. The 2020 ham fair was also called off due to the pandemic. According to the JARL website, more than 42,000 people attended the fair in 2019 over the course of two days.

(JARL)
**
IARU REGION 3 OPTS FOR VIRTUAL CONFERENCE

NEIL/ANCHOR: The IARU Region 3 is also responding to the pandemic—by holding its first digital regional conference. Jason Daniels VK2LAW brings us that story.

JASON: The IARU Region 3 Conference kicks off on September 20th and for its hosting organisation, RAST, it was supposed to be three days of business and fellowship in Bangkok, Thailand. It will instead be held digitally: a first for Region 3, but a necessary response to the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. RAST's president, Jack Hantongkom, HS1FVL, writes on the conference website: [quote] "We are excited about the opportunities of holding an innovative virtual conference." [endquote] As such, the member societies will still meet in working groups to deal with technical, operational and policy matters, typical of any such conference except that this, the 18th regional conference, will take place on the Zoom platform. The tentative list of participants on the conference website includes attendees from ORARI, the Indonesian amateur radio society; the Chinese Taipei Amateur Radio League; the Chinese Radio Amateurs Club; the American Radio Relay League and the Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters Society, among others. Jack writes further: [quote] "This conference will bring us together at what is a very difficult time for us all. " [endquote]

**
AMSAT SYMPOSIUM MOVES FROM HOTEL INTO VIRTUAL MODE

NEIL/ANCHOR: Meanwhile, in the US, AMSAT has also announced a change in plans for its 2021 Space Symposium and Annual Meeting. Originally scheduled to take place at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota, it will instead be held on Zoom on Saturday, October 30th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. The program will be a mix of live Q&A sessions and pre-recorded video segments. Registration is required through the AMSAT member portal. AMSAT plans to make the event available for public viewing later on its YouTube channel. AMSAT announced the changes, citing concerns about safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(AMSAT)

**
SPACEX RECOVERY VESSELS NAMED FOR 'BOB AND DOUG'

NEIL/ANCHOR: Remember Bob and Doug? No, not the fictional McKenzie brothers but the NASA astronauts. SpaceX is remembering them and Paul Braun WD9GCO tells us how.

PAUL: In August of 2020, Bob Behnken KE5GGX and Doug Hurley became the first astronauts launched aboard a crew Dragon spacecraft in a historic commercial flight. This year, Bob and Doug were to play key roles in the splash-down stage of another history-making mission called Inspiration4. Well....at least their namesakes were ready: Two vessels in SpaceX's recovery fleet were named for the pair, in a nod to last year's mission which helped signal a new era in spaceflight. The ships bearing their names became part of the recovery fleet for Inspiration4, which—with a crew of four private citizens aboard— marked the world's first all-civilian space flight.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Paul Braun WD9GCO.

(NASA, SPACE.COM)

**
SPECIAL EVENT CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY OF VOA RELAY STATION

NEIL/ANCHOR: The "voice of freedom" transmitted its first words from West Chester, Ohio across the ocean in September of 1944 at the then-new Bethany Relay Station of the Voice of America. The West Chester Amateur Radio Association WC8VOA, which calls the iconic building its home, is celebrating the relay station's birthday this year with a special event station on September 25th and 26th. Jocelyn Brault KD8VRX/VA2VRX told Newsline that the club's shack is actually the original control room for the relay station. For the special event, be listening on 20 and 40 meters for SSB, FT8 and perhaps some CW as well. Those making a QSO are eligible for a downloadable certificate available 24 hours after the event.

(JOCELYN BRAULT KD8VRX/VA2VRX)

**
ULTRA-TINY BATTERY SHOWS POWER AND PROMISE

NEIL/ANCHOR: When it comes to batteries, tiny might just be the next big thing. Kent Peterson KC0DGY explains why.

KENT: The smaller the battery, the more powerful the possibilities? The designers of a new battery technology being used in a fitness tracker would like to think so. California-based Sila created the battery for a wristband tracker that experts say could revolutionize everyday electronics and perhaps have implications for modes of transportation too. For now, the ultra-tiny powerhouses are in a niche-market item, a fitness tracker called the Whoop 4.0. According to a New York Times article, the battery has the same lifespan as the power source used in the previous model of that tracker but it's a whole one-third smaller.

Sila and Whoop together said the battery had potential for mass marketing in other devices in the next couple of years. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which rely on the ionization and movement of lithium atoms, these new batteries use an anode made of silicon instead of graphite, requiring smaller space for the lithium atoms as they move from the anode side of the battery to the cathode.

Sila and another company, QuantumScape, told the New York Times that their batteries will likely be used in a few short years in smart eyeglasses, electric cars and maybe even flying cars one day.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Kent Peterson KC0DGY.

(NYTIMES)

**
SILENT KEY: CHARLIE BYARS, W5GPO, LONGTIME WEATHER SPOTTER

NEIL/ANCHOR: A well-known weather-spotter and amateur radio operator in north Texas has become a Silent Key. Randy Sly W4XJ tells us about him.

RANDY: Charlie Byars, W5GPO, took the lead in tracking severe weather with his local Amateur Radio Emergency Services Skywarn group, which he helped create in 1974. A licensed ham since 1959, Charlie died Sunday, September 12th. Devoted to alerting people in Archer and Wichita counties about dangerous weather, Charlie was a part of the crucial information network in operation on April 20th, 1979, when a deadly tornado swept through the region, killing 40 people and destroying thousands of homes.

Over the years Charlie's commitment to weather reporting found him in numerous roles, including ARES district coordinator for eight counties. According to a report in the Times Record News of Wichita Falls, he was also the recipient in 2005 of an award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Charlie Byars was 86.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Randy Sly W4XJ.

(THE WICHITA FALLS TIMES-RECORD NEWS)

**
REPLICA TRANSMITTER BEING PREPPED FOR DECEMBER EVENT

NEIL/ANCHOR: Big plans are being made to mark the day radio amateurs proved they could send signals across the Atlantic. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us what's happening.

JACK: December 11th, 1921 was a significant day for amateur radio: It was the day of the Transatlantic Test Project, when hams' shortwave frequencies showed themselves to be capable of transatlantic radio communications, even at 200 meters or less. The experimental transmission of station 1BCG, using a tube-based transmitter, was conducted by the Radio Club of America on 1.3 MHz and resulted in successful reception in Scotland.

One hundred years later, December 11th, 2021 will be an equally significant day. A replica of that transmitter will be used to re-enact that CW transmission on 160 meters not far from the spot in Connecticut from which the original CW transmission was sent. Longtime Antique Wireless Association member Bob Raide, W2ZM, now a Silent Key, (SK) built the replica for a special event 25 years ago. AWA volunteers have spent lots of time lately refurbishing it, wiring a plate supply, building a filament power supply and sorting out usable tubes.

For a day that comes along once every hundred years, radio operators—and the transmitter—need to be ready.

AWA trustee, Joe Stoltz, K2AEI, told Newsline: [quote] "We have had the transmitter powered up and are able to get 350 watts RF on 160 meters with one amplifier tube. The next step is to construct a 160 meter antenna so we can do some actual on-air testing before December." [endquote] Then be listening for the contact of the century.

For Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Jack Parker W8ISH.

(ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION, JOE STOLTZ K2AEI)

**
US, UK STATIONS ALSO MARK TRANSATLANTIC ANNIVERSARY

NEIL/ANCHOR: Some equally important modern-day contacts are being planned for the big anniversary and they involve radio societies in the US and the UK. Here's Jeremy Boot G4NJH with those details.

JEREMY: The Radio Society of Great Britain also has big plans for the centenary of the first transatlantic personal message between radio amateurs. Nick Totterdell, G4FAL, the society's HF contest committee chairman, told Newsline that the ARRL and RSGB members are organising a number of activities surrounding the anniversary. There will also be a Transatlantic QSO Party to be held on the 13th and 14th of November, being sponsored by the Radio Club of America. Nick said other activities will be disclosed soon on the society's website and will appear in the society's RadCom magazine. The society is hoping to maximise participation in the US and the UK and increase worldwide awareness of this achievement 100 years ago.

For Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Jeremy Boot G4NJH.

**

POTA ADDS MORE THAN 1,000 PARKS TO ITS SYSTEM

NEIL/ANCHOR: If you activate or even chase Parks on the Air, you'll want to hear the first of this new monthly POTA report from Vance Martin N3VEM.

VANCE: This month in Parks on the Air news we have two exciting updates to share with everybody. Our first: We are excited to announce that we have recently added over 1,000 parks to the Parks on the Air System. For the last several months we've had a small contingent of volunteers combing through user requests to add additional parks, validating that those requested parks meet the criteria for inclusion in POTA and formatting the list so they can be added to the system. After hundreds of volunteer hours the lists are now in the system and ready for you to go activate. Check out the maps and search pages at the POTA.APP website to see if any of these new units are in your area.

Also in POTA news, we are excited to share that we are formalizing a Parks on the Air support desk. You can always continue to get community support via the Facebook group or via the POTA Help Channel in the POTA Slack Group. But we have a small group of volunteers who have agreed to be on a rotating schedule to help you with your official technical support questions. To reach the official POTA support desk, all you need to do is send an email to help@parksontheair.com

We have coverage for most days of the week so you will usually get a response within 24 hours but no worse than 48 hours based on our volunteers' schedules. We won't solve every problem that fast but you'll know that we're on it. Issues requiring Level 2 support are generally resolved within the week.

This is N3VEM. Be sure to visit Parks On the Air dot com for more info about the program and POTA.APP for spotting, park information, leaderboards and more.

(VANCE MARTIN, N3VEM, POTA)

**
WORLD OF DX

In the world of DX, Dom, 3Z9DX, will be on Conway Reef west of Fiji activating as a one-man DXpedition to this, the 41st most wanted DXCC entity. Dom, who belongs to the Rebel DX Group, expects to be on the air by the 17th of September and will be using the callsign 3D2CR. Be listening on 160 through 6 meters where he will be using CW, SSB and FT8/FT4 for about a two-week period. See QRZ.COM for QSL details.

Kiyo, JA7NQQ, is on the air from Katmandu, Nepal as 9N7NQ until the 23rd of September. This is not a DXpedition so he will be operating only during his free time, likely 23:00 to 0100 UTC and 12:00 to 15:00 UTC). Be listening on 40 to 10m where he will be using mostly FT8 mode. His QSL information is at QRZ.com.

Brian, N3OC, and Bud, AA3B, are on Antigua operating as V26OC and V26K, respectively, until September 20th. Be listening on the HF bands and 6m. QSL via their home callsigns, LoTW or Club Log OQRS.

Mike, VK4DX, will be on the air from Russell Island OC-137 between September 23rd and the 26th, operating on 40-15m. He will be using CW, FT8 and SSB.

Bo, OZ1DJJ, is active as OX3LX from Greenland until the 21st of September, operating on the low bands with a vertical antenna. Send QSLs via OZ0J. (Oh Zed Zero Jay)

(DX-WORLD.NET)

**
KICKER: WITH CW, IT'S NO SPEED? NO PROBLEM!

NEIL/ANCHOR: Our final story is a retelling of the old fable that "slow and steady wins the race." For one Australian club, it's especially true for fans of CW. Graham Kemp VK4BB picks up the story....slowly.

GRAHAM: The Peel Amateur Radio Group believes there's no business like Slow Business, especially when it comes to CW. The club, based on Mandurah, Western Australia, has been on a mission to get CW to flourish among its newest members and to rekindle the keyers of oldtimers among them. They credit one member, Tony VK6DQ, with leading the charge through his nighttime coaching sessions. The club itself has already run a pair of Slow CW contests on 80 metres this year for members and nonmembers alike. The third event, on Saturday September 18th, extends the competition throughout all of the Oceania region.

It's actually not a competition at all. It's about being friendly and.....Taking. Your. Time. In fact, downloadable guidelines on the club's website tell readers [quote] "You’ll make mistakes and you’ll hear others making mistakes while they’re learning too – relax, have fun and don’t sweat the small stuff!" [endquote]

It's not that the club is in any big rush to find slow senders—but members DO want to encourage the slowest of the slow to get in on the action. In fact, members David Millett VK6FAAZ and Mark Bosma VK2KI/VK6QI have written in a Facebook post: [quote] "Please give it a go, no matter how bad you think you are, it's all about having a go and having some fun." [endquote]

FRIDAY EDITION: I will be operating as W1W at noon today on 40 meters SSB for the WBZ Boston 100th Anniversary Special Events station...I will be around 7.175 +/-....Secret listening post in WW2....Plans for a replacement hamfest are in the works. The Manchester Hamfest will be held on Saturday, September 18 from 8 AM to 1 PM at the Hope Baptist Church, 726 Western Ave, Manchester, Maine (1.6 miles from I-95 Exit 109B) located on Rt 202. Admission will be $5. Thanks Norm-W1ITT....

Steve Goodgame, K5ATA, Joins ARRL Headquarters Staff

RISS seeks hosts for Ham Radio contacts with space station crew

Starting on October 1, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) will accept applications from US schools, museums, science centers, and community youth organizations — individually or working together — interested in hosting amateur radio contacts with crew members on the International Space Station (ISS). Contacts will be scheduled between July 1 and December 31, 2022. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates.

ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw a sizeable number of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan.

The deadline to submit is November 24. Proposal information and more details, including expectations, proposal guidelines, and a proposal form are on the ARISS-US website. An ARISS introductory webinar session will be on October 7 at 8 PM ET (2400 UTC). Sign up via Eventbrite.

Each year, ARISS provides tens of thousands of students with opportunities to learn about space technologies and communications through amateur radio. Crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS) will participate in scheduled amateur radio contacts. These contacts are approximately 10 minutes long and allow students to interact with the astronaut through a question-and-answer session.

The program offers learning opportunities by connecting students to orbiting astronauts through a partnership that includes ARRL, AMSAT, and NASA, as well as other amateur radio organizations, and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan, and Europe. The program’s goal is to inspire students to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and Amateur Radio.

“Educators overwhelmingly report that student participation in the ARISS program stimulates interest in STEM subjects and in STEM careers,” ARISS said in announcing the contact opportunities. ARISS says enthusiasm sparked by a school contact also may lead to an interest in ham radio among students and to the creation of ham radio clubs in schools. Some educators have even become radio amateurs after experiencing a contact with an ISS crew member.

ARISS is celebrating 20 years of continuous amateur radio operations on the ISS. Contact ARISS-US for additional information.

CAN RADIO HELP EDUCATE?

It was mid-1922 and America was in the midst of the radio craze. Commercial broadcasting had emerged in a handful of cities in 1920, but at that time, few people had a receiving set—except for amateur radio operators, who knew how to build one. It wasn’t even called “radio” back then—newspapers referred to it as “radiophone” or “wireless telephone.” But only two years later, there were several hundred radio stations on the air, and you could purchase a radio in a store—although hobbyists still had fun trying to build their own, with varying degrees of success. Meanwhile, the word “radio” had become the common term for that wonderful new invention that everyone wanted in their home.  FULL ARTICLE

THURSDAY EDITION: Rainy and cloudy here on Cape Ann this morning, good day to go thru the closet and cabinet drawers in the ham shack and find all kinds of crap I didn't remember I had bought....

Next SpaceX Commercial Crew to ISS Comprised of Radio Amateurs

RTTY Service Station K6KPH is Back

Deaf pupils to talk to astronauts on the International Space Station in a world first

A group of pupils at the Mary Hare School for deaf children in Newbury will be talking to an Astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as it orbits above them at 11,000 miles per hour.

Mary Hare School, with Pippa Middleton as its Ambassador, is the largest school for deaf children in the UK.

In October 2021 the school will be using Amateur Radio equipment set up with the help of Radio Amateurs from the Newbury and District Amateur Radio Society (NADARS).

These will be the first deaf children to have done this, making it a world first. The pupils will each ask a question to the astronaut who will then answer live over amateur radio. The reply will then be interpreted into subtitles.

During September the school will be running a competition inviting students to enter their question from one of five categories, science in space, space technology, living in space, space communication and earth from space. The ten best questions were chosen by staff and those students invited to ask their question on the day of broadcast. ‘It is a very exciting event – a world first for deaf pupils,’ said Mr Ayling a science teacher at the school. ‘I think it is very important to our deaf pupils as it shows whatever your challenges with communication there is no limit to what you can achieve. The sky is not the limit.’

The event will be made possible by the world-wide organisation ARISS (Amateur Radio International Space Station) that heads up the amateur radio contacts for space agencies NASA and ESA. The ISS has an Amateur Radio station on board and the Astronauts are also licenced Radio Amateurs. The signal will be transmitted and received on the VHF Amateur band and can be heard live all over the UK using amateur radios or scanners. There will also be a live web feed available on the internet enabling people to watch the event worldwide including Mission Control, Houston!

WEDNESDAY EDITION: Not much news to report today....Amateur radio enthusiasts in Richmond are about to run a series of courses this fall in a bid to lure people into their hobby. The Richmond Amateur Radio Club (RARC) will roll out its “learning program” next month with certification courses, skills development classes and information sessions relevant to amateur radio to cultivate general interest in the pastime....Dave, K4DRA, wants to try a double dipole set up in order to get an omnidirectional dipole, but he has yet to understand the circular polarization that his set up will create. Dave here to explain ...

Legendary weather spotter dies

The voice of severe weather in North Texas has been silenced. Charlie Byars died Sunday.

Byars was a leader of the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) Skywarn group since its inception. That’s a group of HAM radio volunteers who spread out and watch the skies during severe weather and report to local authorities.

Byars said his interest in weather traced back to 1958, when a tornado touched down near downtown Wichita Falls, causing considerable damage and killing one person. He got his HAM radio license in 1959, and combined his interest in severe weather and amateur radio through all the damaging weather events that followed. He was instrumental in forming the local ARES group in 1974.

He directed the radio network during the historic April 20, 1979, tornado that killed more than 40 local residents and left thousands of people homeless.    STORY

TUESDAY EDITION: How many hams in the US? ...Listen to the space weather woman, she knows! ....

Conway Reef one man DXpedition

Dom, 3Z9DX (aka-3D2USU), member of the Rebel DX Group, announced that he has finally received the Navy's permission to leave the main island of Viti Levu, and will be planning a one man DXpedition (due to the Covid and travel restrictions) to Conway Reef for about 10 days.

He will set sail around September 15-17th. It is about 2 days sail from Fiji and 1 day to set the camp. So activity could start around September 17th signing as 3D2CR. He states on QRZ.com, "Fiji is still under 'No Tourism - no visitors' rules."

Activity will be on 160-6 meters using CW, SSB and FT8/FT4.

Suggested frequencies are:
CW - 1822, 3502, 7002, 10106, 14002, 18072, 21002, 24892 and 28002 kHz
SSB - 3785, 7090, 14190, 18140, 21200, 24940 and 28440 kHz
FT8 - 1840, 3573, 7074, 10136, 14074, 18100, 21074, 24915 and 28074 kHz
FT8(F&H) - 1840, 3567, 7056, 10131, 14090, 18095, 21091, 24911 and 28091 kHz
FT4 - 3575, 7047.5, 10140, 14080, 18104, 21140, 24919 and 28180 kHz
6m - 50105/CW, 50140/SSB and 50313/FT8

Dom also states on QRZ.com, "There will be NO internet conection, NO log online, NO QSO's request, NO cluster readings. All log mistakes will be checked when back to Fiji Main island after the trip." No QSL route
has been announced. Most likely it will be ClubLog's OQRS.

"Havana syndrome" and the mystery of the microwaves

Doctors, scientists, intelligence agents and government officials have all been trying to find out what causes "Havana syndrome" - a mysterious illness that has struck American diplomats and spies. Some call it an act of war, others wonder if it is some new and secret form of surveillance - and some people believe it could even be all in the mind. So who or what is responsible?

It often started with a sound, one that people struggled to describe. "Buzzing", "grinding metal", "piercing squeals", was the best they could manage.  

One woman described a low hum and intense pressure in her skull; another felt a pulse of pain. Those who did not hear a sound, felt heat or pressure. But for those who heard the sound, covering their ears made no difference. Some of the people who experienced the syndrome were left with dizziness and fatigue for months. 

Havana syndrome first emerged in Cuba in 2016. The first cases were CIA officers, which meant they were kept secret. But, eventually, word got out and anxiety spread. Twenty-six personnel and family members would report a wide variety of symptoms. There were whispers that some colleagues thought sufferers were crazy and it was "all in the mind". 

Five years on, reports now number in the hundreds and, the BBC has been told, span every continent, leaving a real impact on the US's ability to operate overseas. 

Uncovering the truth has now become a top US national security priority - one that an official has described as the most difficult intelligence challenge they have ever faced. 

Read the full BBC News article at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-58396698

California Club Assists Animal Rescue Group with Communication Support

Tokyo Ham Fair 2021 is cancelled

Japan's JARL has announced the cancellation of the world's largest amateur radio event, the Tokyo Ham Fair 2021, which had been planned for October 2-3

JARL say:  

We were hopeful to have Ham Fair 2021 with possible preventative measures against COVID-19, but another wave of infection came in this Summer.

Considering the worse than expected COVID situation, JARL reluctantly decided to cancel Ham Fair 2021.

We hope that Tokyo Ham Fair can come back in Year 2022 under safer conditions.

Until then, we wish you all to stay safe and healthy.

73 de JARL International
Ken Yamamoto JA1CJP

Online talk: Batteries and Amateur Radio

Bill Coombes G4ERV will be giving an online talk, Batteries and Amateur Radio, to the Denby Dale Amateur Radio Club at 7:30pm (1830 GMT) on Wednesday, September 15, all are welcome to join the Zoom session

The Zoom meeting ID is 842 5221 3056
https://zoom.us/j/84252213056

For further information see
http://www.ddars.net/

 

MONDAY EDITION: If anyone has photos to share of the hamfest in Marlboro, send them to me......I wonder if the hamfest will become a "super spreader event" of Covid?....Building the MFJ/Vectronics VEC-121K Crystal Radio kit.....

How many radio amateurs are there worldwide ?

In his YouTube talk of September 7 the RSGB General Manager quoted 3 million as the number of radio amateurs worldwide but where did this number come from ?

A figure of 3 million has been widely quoted over the last 20 years and is the figure that was published by the IARU in 2000.

In the last century the IARU used to regularly collect statistics for the number of radio amateurs in each country and IARU published these amateur radio operator global totals:

2000 - 2,986,772
1995 - 2,646,000
1990 - 1,967,000
1985 - 1,489,000
1980 - 1,134,000
1975 -   737,000
1970 -   525,000

Unfortunately IARU stopped collecting the data just at the point when amateur radio numbers started to decline.  Data is available elsewhere for a few of the larger amateur radio countries and except for the USA this shows a steady decline in radio amateurs since 2000. For example the number of amateur radio stations in Japan has fallen by over 600,000 in the past 20 years, see Amateur Radio Licensing Statistics at
http://ah0a.org/AH0A.html

In some countries there are separate operator and station permits, Japan is one such case. The Operator total given in the AH0A table is for all the amateurs that have ever lived since the 1950's. They are not all still alive or even interested in the hobby anymore. A better indication of numbers is provided by the Station license totals.

So how many radio amateurs are there in 2021 ? The answer is no-one knows but it's likely to be closer to 1.75 million than to 3 million.

IARU Amateur Radio Statistics
https://web.archive.org/web/20020612083455/http://www.iaru.org/statsum00.html

 

Sounds familiar, Tom P. is the man you see at every ham fest with the collection of mores code keys and the enigma machine, nice guy....I believe he published a book about keys...

Hot air and amateur radio

Members of the Helvetia Telegraphy Club (HTC) will activate the callsign HB9HC/AM in the air from a hot air balloon.

Hans-Peter, HB9BXE, informs OPDX that the HB9HC/AM team's planned date is Tuesday, September 14th. Alternative dates are: Wed. 15th, Thu. 16th and Sat. 18th.

The balloon flight will be 2 hours long (within 0530-0900 UTC). The hot air balloon ride is very dependent on the weather. The probability that a trip will take place on the scheduled date is around 50 percent and the decision about it will be made at short notice! The Web team will try to keep the information up-to-date (on QRZ.com) in a timely manner.

Operators mentioned are Urs/HB9ABO, Hans-Peter/HB9BXE, Uli/HB9CGA, Peter/HB9TVK and Thomas/HB9BSH. The equipment is a KX3 with 15W into antennas for 40/30/20m (hanging vertically). Other bands may be possible.

It is advisable to consult the network of inverted beacons or a cluster to locate the active frequency. RBN link:
http://www.reversebeacon.net/dxsd1/dxsd1.php?f=0&c=hb9hc%2Fam&t=dx

You will be able to track the exact position of the balloon via APRS at:
https://aprs.fi/#!call=a%2FHB9HC-5&timerange=3600&tail=3600

Braveheart on the move

On September 6th, Paul, N6PSE, announced the following on the Intrepid DX Group's FaceBook page: We were happy to receive some news from our old friend Nigel Jolly. He has sold the Braveheart to a new owner who will make her available for amateur radio DXpeditions.

Her new home port will be Ushuaia once she can be moved from NZ. We are delighted that she will continue to service the amateur radio world for years to come. She is a venerable ship and a great resource for amateur radio.
https://www.facebook.com/The-Intrepid-DX-Group-180857615282553/

 

WEEKEND EDITION: What a beautiful weekend for a hamfest....Never forget 9/11...Who invented radio?.....

I thank Joe- K1JEK for the photos at the hamfest setup on Friday, the weather is perfect and Joe says the crowd is building, more than usual during setup day....

VoIP Hurricane Net to Activate

Foundations of Amateur Radio

The Fox Mike Hotel Portable Operations Challenge

Getting on air and making noise is what it's all about, so last week, that's exactly what we did. Randall VK6WR, Jishnu VK6JN and I participated in the Fox Mike Hotel Portable Operations Challenge which is specifically scored to deal with power and mode differences between stations by using a handicap system that they liken to playing golf. Having been the winner of the Sir Donald Bradman Award in the Millmerran Memorial Golf Tournament for making the highest score on the day, this speaks to me in more ways than I can say. In case you're wondering, more hits in golf is bad and I'm not a golfer.

Scoring in the Portable Ops Challenge is based around four different attributes, the power you're using, the nature of your station, portable or fixed, the mode used and the number of transmitters in use.

To achieve this, you exchange a maidenhead grid square, a combination of letters and numbers that indicates your location on earth, which is then used to determine how many kilometres per Watt are used to make the contact.

If you're portable, you get a multiplier benefit in the scoring.

Depending on the perceived difficulty of the contact, you score more points. In this case, SSB is harder than CW, which in turn is harder than a digital mode.

Finally, the more transmitters you have, the less each contact is worth. Two transmitters, means you score half the points for each.

With that in mind, a QRP portable station with a single transmitter calling CQ on SSB is the best way to make points and that is something that I'm always up for.

In our adventure, we opted for a slight change, instead using FT4 and FT8, using 40 Watts, portable, on the side of a hill in a local park and during the four hours we were active, we managed six contacts, one over SSB, the rest using digital modes and we all had several goes at getting the best out of our station.

Our set-up consisted of a small folding table next to my car with a computer, a radio and a thermos flask with hot tea to ward off the chill in the air. Power was supplied by an 80 AH battery. The radio was an Icom IC-7300 that Randall brought along.

The antenna we used was a Terlin Outbacker, multi-tap whip that was attached to my car with a 12m counterpoise run along the gutter.

None of us had ever seen such excellent conditions with such a low noise floor in the middle of the city. We were enjoying the last warm sun of the day from Kings Park in Perth, Western Australia. It's a 990 acre park, larger than Central Park in New York, set aside for public use in 1831 and gazetted as a public park in 1872. The park is open 24 hours a day and features a botanic garden with thousands of species of Western Australia's native flora and fauna, overlooks the central business district, the Swan River and the Darling Ranges and best of all, there's no radio noise. It did get chilly towards the end, but I'm pretty sure we all went home with all our fingers and toes intact.

Jishnu also brought along his FT-817 and a tiny multi-tap telescopic whip that we strapped to a nearby steel rubbish bin and using that set-up was able to detect and transmit WSPR signals across the globe as part of experimentation with his station.

One of the unexpected benefits of not yelling CQ into a microphone ad-nauseam was that we were able to continue our conversation, hearing stories from each other and enjoying hot pizza when dinnertime came around without needing to stuff food into the same place where CQ calls were intended to originate.

My car isn't quite ready to go completely portable, but this little outing again proved to me that portable vehicle based operation has a charm all its own and the Fox Mike Hotel Portable Operations Challenge is going to be on my dance card next time it comes around!

When was the last time you left your shack and went portable?

I'm Onno VK6FLAB

FRIDAY EDITION: I am hoping Joe-K1JEK and gang send some pictures of the hamfest, hint......I have grandkids field hockey and soccer games on Friday and Saturday and will not be able to attend....

August 2021 Volunteer Monitor Program Report

20th Anniversary of 9/11

ARRL The national association for Amateur Radio® honors the memories of those who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, including these radio amateurs:
Steven A. “Steve” Jacobson, N2SJ, 53, of New York City (WTC); William V. “Bill” Steckman, WA2ACW, 56, of West Hempstead, New York (WTC); Michael G. Jacobs, AA1GO, 54, an ARRL member from Danbury, Connecticut (WTC); Lt. Robert D. “Bob” Cirri, Sr., KA2OTD, 39, an ARRL member from Nutley, New Jersey and Port Authority police officer who was helping to evacuate workers from the building when it collapsed; William R. “Bill” Ruth, W3HRD, 57, of Mt. Airy, Maryland (Pentagon); Gerard J. “Rod” Coppola, KA2KET, 46, of New York City (WTC); and Winston A. Grant, KA2DRF, 59, of West Hempstead, New York (WTC). An assembly of articles, stories, and messages from the November 2001 issue of QST magazine is available at tinyurl.com/ARRL-QST-9-11.

Several special events will commemorate the attacks of September 11, 2001, and honor the victims.

Saturday, September 11, 1200 – 2359 UTC, the Somerset County Amateur Radio Club and Nittany Amateur Radio Club will activate N3M. Frequencies: 14.293, 7.293, and 3.993 MHz. QSL c/o Nittany Amateur Radio Club, P.O. Box 614, State College, PA 16801.

Saturday, September 11, 1400 – 1900 UTC, the Harrisburg (PA) Radio Amateurs Club (HRAC) will operate W3M. Frequencies: 7.265 and 14.265 MHz. For a certificate, visit www.w3uu.org/w3mqsl/.

Saturday, September 11, 1200 – 2400 UTC, the Pentagon Amateur Radio Club (PARC) will sponsor special event station K4P. Operation will be in the General-class portions of 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters on CW and RTTY. There will be a special QSL card available via PARC, P.O. Box 2322, Arlington, VA 22202. For more information, contact Gary Sessums, KC5QCN.

Saturday, September 11, 1400 UTC – 2400 UTC, members of the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club (GSBARC), and the Northeast Wireless Radio Club will activate special event call sign W2T.

Through September 13, 1600 – 0200 UTC, members of the American Legion Post 10 Amateur Radio Club, Albany, Oregon, will be active as N7F. QSL with SASE to American Legion Post 10, 1215 Pacific Blvd. SE, Albany, OR 97321. Email for more information.

Through September 13, 0000 – 0003 UTC, the Wireless Association of New York City, Staten Island, will activate WA2NYC. Frequencies: 28.450, 21.350, 14.340, and 7.238 MHz. D-STAR Reflector XLX020B will be monitored at the top of the hour QSL to Wireless Association of New York City, 233 Wolverine St., Staten Island, NY 10306. Email for more information.

Through September 14, N3U will be on the air from Pennsylvania to remember all victims of 9/11. QSL via W3PN. Operation will be mostly on SSB and CW, with some digital activity.

Search the Special Events calendar on the ARRL website for more details on these operations.

THURSDAY EDITION: Ham radio bicycle mobile using APRS for tracking in a marathon video...If you can make it, this is the weekend for the big New England hamfest in Marlboro, MA.....I was talking to a ham on 75 last night checking two antennas for performance. The dipole gave me a reading of 20+ and then he switched to an endfed antenna and I could hardly hear him. He said, boy that endfed sucks. I asked him how he switched so fast from one antenna to the other. He said well I matched the antenna with my manual tuner for the dipole and then just switched to the endfed. I tried to explain he needed to tune the endfed with the tuner first, he tried it and he was 10 over. His transceiver folded back the power out when it saw a high swr. He should watch this.......

HamSCI Founder Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, Awarded $481,260 NASA Research Grant

Here we take a look at the RS-HFIQ 5 Watt HF SDR Transceiver by HobbyPCB.

The RS-HFIQ is an open-source HF transceiver project designed to translate I and Q baseband signals to RF in the 80/60/40/30/20/17/15/12/10M Amateur Radio bands. The I and Q signals must be provided/processed by external signal processing which could be a PC running Software Defined Radio software or a stand-alone digital signal processor

WEDNESDAY EDITION: Fun Facts: Ford pardoned Nixon this day in history and Biden has a 67% disapproval rate on how he handled the pullout in Afghanistan....Engaging and Educating Youth in Amateur Radio Through Hands-on Space Science Activities ....An 'Internet apocalypse' could ride to Earth with the next solar storm, new research warns

It won't be long until the New England Hamfest in Marlboro, MA

GENESIS Ham Satellites among Payloads Lost in Launch Failure

TUESDAY EDITION: I hope you all had a a good weekend...I will be one of the operators for the WBZ Radio station 100th special event, the dates are September 17-19th. I selected the 40 and 75 meter SSB slots, more info to follow. Special event callsigns (W1W, W1B, W1Z, WB1Z)...

3-band vertical for portable use

In this video Bruce G4ABX demonstrates a 3-band (40m, 30m, and 20m) portable vertical 1/4 wave antenna (also suitable for a small garden if matching unit waterproofed)

The matching section (base loading coils) is courtesy of the 'QRPGuys' https://qrpguys.com/

My application uses a 7m fibreglass fishing pole and a PA Speaker stand as the base support -- so the antenna is completely free standing. The design has 4-off 10 foot radials. More radials will improve efficiency -- slightly, but at the expense of convenience. (More, or longer radials will not be so quick to deploy or take up!)

The complete antenna can be deployed -- or taken down in less then 10 minutes and the telescopic fibreglass mast is stored inside the speaker stand for safe transportation and storage.

SWR for all three bands is less than 1.7:1 and this is s resonant design so no ATU is needed. (Ideal for the FT817ND or ICOM IC-705 etc.)

I use this antenna in conjunction with my KX3 GoBox and performance is very good.
Power handling of the matching unit is 20 Watts PEP max. (I also use it with a Xeigu G90.)

Safety: Check there are no overhead cables above the area you plan to deploy the antenna. Never deploy an antenna in the vicinity of overhead cables.